Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-11
DISEASES OF THE cow
In Stable, Yard and Pasture-A Valuable
Lecture by Mr.. Archibald Taylor.

one OF the most praCtlCdllS NdludDle ltC-
lures ever delivered to farmers in this vi
entity was delivered in the University
course yesterday afternoon by Mr.. Archi-
bald Taylor formerly manager of the
Vermont stock farm and now manager of
the extensive blooded stock farm of DR.
w. Seward Webb. The lecture was given
in the experiment station building before
one of the largest and most representa-
tive classes of the course. Mr.. TaN lOr's sub
iect as given ON the programme was "The
Diseases of Animals and their Treatment"
but he announced that he should modify
il to The Cow in the Stable, Yard and
Pasture" Probably, said the speaker, no
country in the world is so tree from CON
tqgious diseases of cattle rs is this coun-
try We have little pleurO pneumonia
around New York, and the disease has re
Gently appeared in Chicago, but it has
never reached the point where it could not
be readily stamped out. Our veterina-
rians however, have given most of their
attention to the diseases of the horse, so
that the diseases to which cattle are sub
ject are not very well unders GOD by
the majority of farmers Who should be
the writers upon diseases OF cattle but
you practical farmers who by observation
and experience have become acquainted
with the peculiar diseases of this class of
stock and their treatments
One of the diseases of cattle by which
farmers sustain their greatest losses is
abortion. All authorities in print, you
will find, agree that tins difficulty is con
tagous in the highest degree. For the
past IA years have given this subject the
closest attention. On the Vermont stock
farm, of which was in charge, we had
many cases of abortion causing great
loss of valua Die cows. | found that some
farmers III the vicinity never had any
abortions on their farms, while others
had frequent cases of it and began in
vestigating the subject. My first start
ing point was that this disease is
not contagious. At that time | had 80
cows in breeding. condition, | made Il
record OF each cows condition, and kept u
weekly record of her temperature, also
noting the condition of the manure in the
draught and in the pasture, also the CON
dition of feed in the stable and in the pas
ture. found that there existed great
sympathy between the organs of diges-
tlon and reproduction. AS soon as the
temperature advanced above the normal
point, l0l degrees, the bowels showed "A
relaxed condition. due to too stimulating
and too relaxing feed. it was in this con
dition of the digestive organs, | found,
mat aoortlons occur. The large amount
OF blood called into the digestive organs,
and their excited condition, takes the
nourishment from the foetus and at last
1t dies of starvation and is severed from
the umbelical cord. When the COW aborts
between thu 6th and 18th month the foetus
has very little hair upon it. Everything
indicates that it died of starvation. This
IS theory of my own. | am confident
from my experience that abortion
can be prevented with proper care,
and is not a contagious disease
Any food That will keep up relaxed con
qltlon OF TIE bowel, produces abortion.
Inc young Crowd of timothy in Septem-
Der, October and November is highly
charged with water, and cows consume
II freely 1t tends to produce relaxation of
the bowels and high temperature above
the normal. In this condition the process
Of starvation OF the toetus is in progress
The succession OF cases of this kind in
the same herd produces the impression
that the disease is contagious Many
COWS are abOred by being fed on mper-
tectly cured timothy hay. Corn meal, or
llnseed meal, or ground oats pro
duce the same result. All these
may be fed, but with extreme care.
Cows in calf should be kept on dry, poor
pasture, not low and moist. ! fluid that
there is no trouble from abortion when
a slightly conStipated condition of the
bowels is maintained, This is produced
by using dry food, such ~ Oat straw or
oats unthreshed
Mr.. Taylor's lecture was listened to with
the closest and deepest interest This is
the first time that his valuable expert
ments have ever been made public in
print although they were presented
by Colonel Cannon before the Farm
er's club of New York city,
which unanimously requested theii
publication. Col. Cannon, however, re.
piled that the results of these eXperl.
ments belonged to Mr.. Taylor and Yer
mont, and should be at Mr.. Taylor's dis
posal; No experiments of the kind have
ever been conducted in the country, ex
I9ElOr no IA -, 90,
his discoveries will doubtless attract wide
attention. The sentiment of the class WA,
well voiced by Mr.. c. j, Alger, who said
that the value Of such a man as Mr.. Tay
Tor in county or a State, was inestima
BILE to the farmers, and that the expert
mental work which he was Carving on
would be of the greatest importance il
connection with such an agricultural sta
n as Congress proposes to give the diff
l. rent States.
very interesting and extended discus
son followed the lecture, in which the fol
lowing points We're brought out
Cows very rarely abort from accident
Caring of cattle usually produces consti
patton, so that abortion can hardly be laiC
TO this cause Cows in calf, if fed grain
had better have it dry, as it is not so relax
ing IN this condition. All relaxing Grain.
may be fed with care. Ensilage may b,
ted TO some extent, and does not seem tt
be relaxing Abortion is always accom-
panied by low state of fever. The TEN
perature OF cattle may be taken by tn,
ordinary veterinary thermometer inserted
in the rectum. The COW need not be re
moved from the farm when she aborts, TO
the disease IS not contagious, COW tina
has abOrted once is not rendered NOR,
likely to abort again.
Green, succulent corn does not seem t,
produce relaxed condition of the bowels
once attributed abortion to ergot, sal,
Mr.. Taylor, but that theory | discarded
on the ground that | could feed cattle 81
that no abortion can take place. An,
case of losingacalf up to the eighth monti
is abortion. Abortion in COW leaves
foreign substance, which has to decay ant
Is likely 10 produce disease. ii the after
1irth comes away, naturally, in spite o
abortion, il Is encouragement to keep tn
cow. The COW may be MIXED week 0
two weeks before coming III, without Diet
riment, or with positive advantage, as Their
Is less danger of milk fever. Hot water an
Piled with cloths should be- used to bath
a feverish bag rubbing Is also beneficial
The dtter-birth is generally tightly at
tqChp0 bnt pap la ratnnV.